Category Archives: “Real” things

Real things: news, environment, politics, science, sociology, etc.

If Wii throwing didn’t prove the idiocy of America, maybe this will

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Federal Way schools restrict Gore film

“Condoms don’t belong in school, and neither does Al Gore. He’s not a schoolteacher,” said Frosty Hardison, a parent of seven who also said that he believes the Earth is 14,000 years old. “The information that’s being presented is a very cockeyed view of what the truth is. … The Bible says that in the end times everything will burn up, but that perspective isn’t in the DVD.”

People are allowed to believe what they want.  Some people want to interpret the Bible literally (to which I say they don’t because there are hundreds of draconian rules in Leviticus that they surely don’t follow), which is completely asinine.  How can anyone possibly believe the Earth is a mere 14000 years old?  In the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary?!?!

School Board members adopted a three-point policy that says teachers who want to show the movie must ensure that a “credible, legitimate opposing view will be presented,” that they must get the OK of the principal and the superintendent, and that any teachers who have shown the film must now present an “opposing view.”

The requirement to represent another side follows district policy to represent both sides of a controversial issue, board President Ed Barney said.

“What is purported in this movie is, ‘This is what is happening. Period. That is fact,’ ” Barney said.

No no, Mr. Barney.  Technically it is all just a theory.  But it is one with overwhelming evidence supporting it.  Al Gore just isn’t pulling it out of his ass when he says that it’s a virtual scientific consensus.  The scientists who oppose this view are either (a) hired by special interest groups funded by oil companies or (b) not necessarily skeptical of the theory, but wary of sweeping proclamations (that many proponents of global warming make with a lot of ease and not a lot of support).

And the measures a teacher has to go through to present ANY material: multiple levels of approval (to the SUPERINTENDENT?!?!?!) is completely ridiculous!

When did it become irrelevant?

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Fan Asks Hard Questions About Rap Music – New York Times

Another high school student at the Chicago event, Vasawa Robinson, 19, said rap showed “real life” and that “if you try to show a different picture, the kids won’t want to listen.” The more political, socially conscious rap, Vasawa said, was for an older generation.

This is crazy!  Political, socially conscious anything/everything should be relevant and important to all generations.  I don’t understand how a generation can just forgo important messages given to them in a medium they prefer in lieu of misogynistic hateful messages.

do they really need help?

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genetic testing to determing ethnic heritage

this is an nytimes.com article (reg required) about how ppl are using genetic testing to find out their ethnic background. the story part of the article is about 2 guys who took the test and found they are 9% native american and 11% northern african. but they have always thought of themselves as white. their parents are white. and i know that white american males are the “easiest group to discriminate” against, but don’t they have enough of an advantage within the social order that they shouldn’t be allowed to do this sort of thing to get things like financial aid to colleges and such?

CNN.com – ‘Brokeback’ screening lands prison officer in hot water – Apr 8, 2006

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CNN.com – ‘Brokeback’ screening lands prison officer in hot water – Apr 8, 2006

okay, so here’s the summary intro paragraph/sentence from this article:

A Massachusetts correctional officer is being disciplined for showing the gay cowboy movie “Brokeback Mountain” to inmates at the state’s largest prison because his boss determined that the film includes content inappropriate for a prison setting.

this is from a reuters wire article. reuters is a news organization like the AP (though mostly a secondary/international source in the US). Here’s my problem with it. it’s all fun and games for comedians, late-night talk show hosts, etc etc etc to make the almost obligatory brokeback mountain jokes. to stereotype it as the “gay cowboy movie” when it’s not a gay cowboy movie. but to put the term “gay cowboy movie” in the lead of the article, that goes around the world?!?! that just propagates the whole problem. gives legitimacy to it, when it shouldn’t be.

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is your glacier sick?

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CNN.com – Swiss wrap glacier to slow ice melt – May 10, 2005

put a blanket on it! slow that melting. isn’t it great all these environmental-types are doing so much to save the planet (don’t send the hate mail, i’m all for saving the planet), but you know, the planet has a finite life span. the sun will indeed supernova at some point (however far in the future), and the earth will be gone. so the question is one like a carpe diem versus save for the future (somewhere in between). do you just live it up while you got it? or work to save it for an uncertain future (though admittedly earth isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, unless like in some hitchhiker’s guide move there is really some plan to destroy the earth in an eminent domain type move to make a highway or something)?

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unfortunate headline

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ESPN.com – NBA – Pacers’ O’Neal: Racism behind age-limit proposal

okay, not going to discuss whether i think this argument has any merit (institutional racism, etc etc etc). i don’t think kids should jump straight to the nba from HS. i don’t think 99% of them are ready (menatlly, physically, skill-set). yes there are always exceptions (e.g. lebron). what’s crazy is how much of a chance these kids get. if someone who is a HS prep star, with nba teams considering drafting him (maybe not high, maybe not in the lottery), goes to college, leaves after a year, and then stinks it up his first year in the league, he’s done. he might not get another chance. that same kids leaves straight from HS to the nba, GMs will keep him around forever just in case he ever develops. of course this is an argument for allowing the HS players make the jump, but there has to be a better way (let teams draft them, make them play in a mandatory “minor” league for 3 months, i don’t have a solution, but it’s crazy as it is now).

anyway, i’m moving off target. the whole point of this post is to comment on ESPN’s headline for this story on the main page. it says: ” Pacers’ O’Neal: Age limit is racism.” i read that, and the very first thought in my head (not having read the article yet) was, “hmm, straight from HS player says ‘man, age limit? that’s racist!’ what a perfect example/reason to make them go to college! haha”

of course the article is not about o’neal thinking age limits are an example of racism in a simpleton sort of way that i comedically imagined, but still, at least a little amusing.

btw, while i’m on basketball, is anyone else wondering what exactly happened to shooting? why is it getting to be more and more acceptable for all players (but particularly guards) to shoot worse and worse from the line? and who cares if some tiny 5’11”-6’1″ kid is a slasher who can drive to the basket at will? in the nba, that kid won’t finish a good amount of the time, will get fouled, and is what? an upper 60 to 70% FT shooter? what the hell is that?

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